Monday, March 2, 2015

“So Many Christians, So Few Lions”

About
10 years ago, I was in my office at work, and a colleague came by to talk about
a project. I don’t remember exactly what the project was about, but it did
involve people who had been critical of the company and its products.

Then,
out of the clear blue, my colleague said, “But you know who really frightens me?”

“I’m
one of them,” I said. “One of those evangelical Christians. Do I try to force
my views on you?”

It
was her turn to be stunned. I could see cognitive dissonance exploding inside
her head.

“Well,”
she said finally, “if you are one of them, you must be the exception.”

It
was my first experience of “Christianophobia” with a work colleague. I had
experienced it before, something on the level of group hysteria, over a school
district controversy. My colleague was college-educated, older than I was by a
few years, with a journalism background.

If
you asked conservative Christians if there is Christianophobia in the United
States, the likely response would be a rather large majority affirmative. The
evidence has largely anecdotal – court decisions, stories of university
political correctness run wild (lots of those), sneering editorials by the
local newspaper, fundraising letters by organizations like People for the
American Way.

The
book, while more engaging than the typical sociology book, is still a sociology
text. Yancey and Wiliamson don’t sensationalize their subject or write in
screaming prose. You have to read slowly and deliberately. The appendices
comprise about half the volume.

David Williamson

They
make their case. Using existing surveys plus ones they themselves conducted,
they make a solid case that there is indeed Christianophobia in the United
States, and especially among a rather elite group – highly educated, relatively
wealthy whites. In overall size, they would be smaller than the conservative
Christians they fear. In influence, position, and power, however, they’ve got
it all over the Christians.

In
terms of what has been happening culturally in the United States, this is an
important subject to consider and discuss. And I will be discussing key parts
of the book over the next two to three Mondays – who are the people so afraid
of conservative Christians; why do they believe what they do; how do they
rationalize what would otherwise be considered intolerant, bigoted beliefs; and
what the implications might be.

I
do know that my work colleague who so feared “those Christians” fit almost exactly
the demographic described by Yancey and Williamson. And that happened a decade ago.

7 comments:

Thanks for taking on this subject. Just last night our little village had a concert--Christian concert. The place was packed. The singers, local residents of the park, were excellent. I was standing neart the back door. I smiled at Bob as he walked out the door, he gave me a frown. Later I noticed Bob talking with Jim on a bench outside the clubhouse door. He told me he didn't see why they (those Christians) had to turn the clubhouse into a church. "There's plenty of churches everywhere, why do they gotta go an bring it here?"

We are a scary bunch......it's interesting, my prayer time this morning was centered about meditating on what's happening in the world and how the American church might be affected now and in the future! Timely.

Glynn, my teenage kids and I have been discussing the subject of Christians in the United States fast becoming a minority. I have no data for that, but it sure 'feels' like the scales are tipping due to the Christianophobia you mention. Seems all of those open-minded people are only open to everything OTHER than Christianity. Hmmm.

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Professional writer exploring faith and culture, life and work; happily married to Janet, the love of my life; father of two grown sons. Award-winning speechwriter and communication consultant. I am also a contributing editor for The High Calling and for TweetSpeak Poetry. I am also the author of the novels "Dancing Priest" and "A Light Shining," and the non-fiction book "Poetry at Work."